what day already?

Some of yall are furiously working on holiday projects... I think since I started so early, and I've faced reality that nothing is going to be done by the target date, I would hold off and do a little work on projects that have been now officially branded with that seal of shame, UFO.


Red Herring Socks, started October 21!
Knit Picks Gloss in Pumpkin & Dusk
US 1.5 (2.5mm) magic loop, Holz & Stein

When I pick up a project after a while, it almost feels like cheating because so much has been done on it already. I loved these when I started them, but they kinda fell to the wayside for holiday knitting. I'm still planning on mirroring them-- a blue foot and an orange foot, and if my bad-at-math calculations are correct, the mirrored pair will take only 2 hanks of Gloss. I bought 4, so maybe some endpaper mitts with the leftovers? (I *am* going to knit those Anemoi mittens in some stashed koigu & solid Louet Gems Pearl, sometime.)


Starsky Sweater, started March 16, 2006!
Knit Picks Sierra in Cranberry
US 10 (6mm) 60" circular (wtf was I thinking?!), Addi

The left front actually worked up much more quickly than I thought, especially as I've been cabling without a cable needle and I've actually learned how to read a cable chart recently. Embarrassing maybe but its a huge step for me. I can't look at lace or cable charts and see patterns, or what they are going to look like knit up... something misfires in my brain. The tinier foundation is true as well, I couldn't look at cable directions and understand, without referring to the chart instructions, what each meant. When I knit Jenna's Celtic Cap pattern though, something clicked-- don't know if it was her choice in symbols or me hunkering down and really trying to understand them, but it worked and now that I don't have to keep referring back to charts or my color coding, its much faster and more rewarding. Another that will be finished sometime.

Of course I started something new, though.


Noni Bags, Prism pattern (Fall 2006 collection)
Patons Classic Merino wool in Petal Pink & Black held double
US 13 (9mm) 29" circular, Susan Bates
Started: December 17, 2006

This actually is a holiday gift, but I know it won't be done in time & I've embraced that :) This is for my auntie who told me I have too much time on my hands (after seeing grandma's lizard ridge afghan)... I was going to make her Tamarah, but really the pattern-- I just don't get it. (Full of embarrassing admissions today!) So I frogged it and ordered this pattern (Diva Knitting has free shipping on it!)... I think it will be much more "her" as she loves her handbags. (What would you do with 2 hanks of Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple spun silk in a decadent red? Something for myself I'm sure...)

Don't get me wrong, I love my auntie a lot, and I think she'll love this bag as well. (Especially if I can complete the finishing it deserves.) But I also get a blast knitting it, so I don't mind if its not as enjoyed/appreciated as if I were say to give it to another knitter or someone who "gets it." I love the process and love knowing what I put into it (effort and the idea behind it). I feel really good in this realization-- that knitting for others isn't just about the reception of the gift but what I got out of making it. Its also selfish in a way, I'm not a "bag" girl (I carry a thin wallet at most), but this way I get to knit a fun pattern I wouldn't normally make for myself.

One thing though (this is the bottom of the bag)...



The more I look at it, the more I wonder if I should switch the black & pink when I work the body/sides of the bag. The black is looking lost even though I intended for it to be a "black bag with pink"... dunno. The pics make me doubt that though-- it looks better in pics (the color contrast) than it does to my eye. Eh, I have the bottom to finish before worrying about it, so we'll see.

Also a note on the pattern... This is my first "hard copy" pattern I've ever bought, and its printed on professional looking, shiny cardstock. Impressed! There is errata to this pattern though, which I wish I'd found before going nuts over it. I also wish that the pattern had line numbers on the charts (the charts are small as well, I had to blow them up at my neighborhood Kinkos... the same one I made a stranger blush in a while ago.) Also, if you're buying this pattern sight unseen (as I did), you'll need a US 11 (8.0mm) circular for the solid bag, OR a US 13 (9.0mm) circular for the patterned bag. Everywhere I looked the needle requirements were listed at US 11 AND 13-- so I bought both but didn't need to. No matter, I'm already thinking about using the US 11 and knitting a smaller patterned bag with one strand of Patons Classic Merino wool (this is my new crack. seriously...) and the Noro Silk Garden Joan sent me to finish up my sister's capelet with-- a next-season gift for my sister, who did love her capelet, btw. (Too matchy?) I'll keep the bottom of the smaller bag a solid black though (do I need to double strand it? cross that bridge when i get there i guess)... I'm finding the wrong side/purling in stranded knitting really awkward esp. with double stranded worsted, though finished it doesn't look too bad to my eye. It also seems like a lot of work for something unseen... we'll see how I feel about it once this bad boy is felted.

Have a great holiday, and don't forget to knit for yourselves ;)

Dear Santa.

I can't remember the last time I asked Santa for anything. Could be that I have a terrible long term memory, but I think it was a dog's age since. I remember walking thru a mall with my mom forever ago... upon seeing a wall of lifelike puppets I *immediately* asked my mom for the monkey one. Normally I'd think I remembered this because I never asked for anything when I was little (the only other gift I remember asking for was The Animator, and I still have it!), but no... Mom said, well, maybe SANTA will bring it for you. I remember her doubling back (leaving me in the store alone? told you my memory's awful) and coming with a bag she didn't have before. She threw it in the trunk and we went on out merry way home-- she didn't unlock the trunk when we got there. I "stole" her keys later on that nite and opened the trunk... found the monkey. I must have been there a while cos mom came out and found me with the trunk popped and me talking to the monkey.

But hey, tis the season and I'm never too old (lies!)...

Dear Santa, I'd love to learn how to knit a hat. (Related: And take pictures of my own head.)


Center Square, Knitty Winter 2006
Patons Classic Merino wool, Black & Natural Mix (doubled)
US 10.5 circular, 16" Susan Bates
Started & Finished: December 10, 2006

Or maybe I should amend that request... Dear Santa, I'd love to not have such a ginormous head. See, the pattern unstretched is 15.5" and well... that hat would need about oh, 50% (!!) negative ease to fit my melon. I have this thing though, something about impulse control and a false image of how large my head is-- so I found my 16" 10.5 circular and eked out 3.5 sts/inch (stranded and stst, dude!), added a pattern repeat (72 st co) so unstretched the hat would be about 20.5", absorbed a few hours of Man vs Wild (goodness, rescue me!) and Iron Chef and had a hat at the end. A hat... yeah. I dunno, I think its the colors; the reason the pattern sample pops so much are the great colors (and regular sized head!) Anyhow, the kid likes it and I have scads of the yarn left over... on sale this week @ Michaels for 3.99, if you're wondering.

Speaking of sales, Santa... not that I've forgotten world peace or anything, but what I really want and no one will buy me is 3 bags of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk from little knits for Amelia's stunning new coat. Of course in red! You know me, I try and make up for my lack of red in my life via yarn. Odd but true. I think I could rock an alpaca silk coat like Mrs Claus... or rock it naked like mis'tress claus. Whatever. Please?

Oh, um. Yeah. I *know* I just bought some grey Alpaca Silk DK for Celtic Icon from Inspired Cable Knits...


(I swapped for this book just so I could have this pattern!)

and I know I haven't finished Starsky...


(back done, left front in the works lately)

but c'mon. Please? :) (See why no one will buy me more yarn?)

Well, it could be this.



My former sock yarn bin... in all its cracked and ducttaped glory. (Yes, this bin used to hold *all* of the stash. Heaven help me, but I'm already dreaming of the Stitches Market in February.) The yarn was feeling a little... unloved here, so its been moved to some new digs...




(for insaknitty... lingo boxes from IKEA)



Where it doesn't.all.quite.fit.

Please tell me this isn't the sign I need to go stash thinning :)

And on the topic of yarn giveaways, Santa... be sure to check out Rachel's pay it forward giveaway as well as Kristen's vintage knits contest... you know she made my legs famous with her Vintage Knits article in the recent Knitty, eh? :)

Starsky and Shell Socks Started (three times fast!)

A few projects started...

Starsky from Knitty Winter 2005
Started: March 16, 2006
Knit Picks Sierra in Cranberry
Addi 6mm needle (US #10) ... 150cm length(!!)



Started going MUCH more quickly when I picked up a hint from the Starsky KAL to color code the chart... Lights went off, the bells flashed and she was in heaven! :) It feels almost dirty to knit something on these huge needles... esp as I've been alternating btw this and...

Childs First Sock in Shell Pattern
from Knitting Vintage Socks
Started: March 17, 2006
US 2 dpns (2.75mm) -- set of 4
Lisa Souza Sock! yarn, Mahogany colorway





The first pic isn't great but I wanted to show how freakishly long the leg is-- I'm following the pattern exactly and its 7 repeats, about 8" long. I always thought I knit long sock cuffs, but going over my knit socks I realize they hover around 5-6" long before the heel, not too long.

Oh, another superweird thing about this pattern, the heel is 2" long. So a super long leg and a little nothing heel... I dunno. I usually wear my hightop cons with my handknit socks so I don't worry about the shorter shoe wearing the back of the heel (where a "normal" heel would be wearing lowtops), but its just... weird! :)

I try and knit exactly from patterns, so as to learn something new and use it later... but its odd! :) I also think I'm going to shelve my "I've got to knit on 2 circs if I can" thing... I have been flying thru these on dpns and enjoying them. There is also a *lot* of yarn in the hank from Lisa Souza, so I'm not really worried about running out of yarn (here's hoping I didn't just jinx myself...) I've got to check out her new Sock! Merino at the Knit and Crochet Show in Oakland-- it sounds soo fine though! (560 yds-- the Sock! I'm using is 480yds) I have been leaning to solid colors lately, since I have so much in the way of variegated yarn, hopefully she'll have lots of solids on hand for me to check out.

I've also been knitting on the toddler socks (toe up in Interlacements Toasty Toes), but have hit a major snag... lollipop soldier ahs squirreled away my 1st completed sock. So I don't know how long to knit the cuff, and I'm dismayed thinking I've got to knit *3* socks now... I haven't stalled on them, but have kept them aside for knitting in the car and at appointments-- I've never knit in the car but its nice to have a non-taxing project as the miles wear by. Stst toddler socks fit that bill perfectly :)

So, I've altered my knitting habits a bit I suppose. I've always been a one-project kinda girl, socks mainly. But adding a larger project (Starsky) and also a smaller one (toddler socks) seems to my regular one sock project make my knitting even more prolific-- I race thru one, promising I can start the other when I hit a certain amount of completion... and the varying weight and differences in the pattern mean I can help break up the monotony that any one project can have for me.

Anyhow, aside from knitting I went to a semi-local yarn store (Skein Lane in El Cerrito) as they were having a "hot sale for cool nights" sale and I've been trying to get out locally and support the yarn stores in my immediate area. I'm going to shelve my no stash enhancement goal... I don't think I feel strongly enough about it to commit, though I've been looking a lot less lately.

Added these:


Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Seaside


Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Argyle


Austermann Step in whisky (color 09)

I've admired the Argyle colorway since seeing Sockbug's lightning bolt argyle socks, so I think I'll try and recreate the effect with the same pattern (Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks), eventually...

I also picked up the new Austermann Step yarn, the one with jojoba oil & aloe. Squeezing the ball, it doesn't really feel any different... Who knows. I've never knit a pair of socks from printed/self-striping yarn before, not sure what sort of pattern I'll choose (Jaywalkers? I don't think I could stand stst, but maybe I should give it a chance.) I will be trying to match the striping on them, since that's what "this kind" of yarn is for (striping!)

The color's not something I'd pick out for me, but they'll be a gift when knit up and the recipient picked it out and is letting me hold it in the stash til then :)

Also picked up a set of Brittany Birch dpns, 5" in US 0 for more baby socks.



I've read awful things about the sturdiness of these needles, esp. at the superlow sock size, but I've been enjoying the 4" Susanne ebony dpns for toddler socks and the 5 year guarantee sealed the deal (along with the fact I have mini skeins of koigu that will make for adorable toddler socks, and the brittanys would be great for that.)

Perhaps I'll have one weirdo sock done soon :) Starsky will take longer, but I'm pleased with my progress so far-- can't wait to block it and help the pattern really pop (and to help ease some of my wonky stitchery.)